I am a Member of the European Parliament for the South-East Region, with special responsibility for the Conservative Party in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. Now in my sixth term, I am a member of the European Parliament’s Budgets committee, and also a substitute member of both the Foreign Affairs committee and the EU-US delegation. I am the founder of the Transatlantic Policy Network, which I currently chair, and a co-founder of the European Internet Foundation.

Karim Lesina

Vice President, AT&T

Karim Antonio Lesina is the Vice President of AT&T, covering International External Affairs for the European Union, Caribbean, Central and Latin America Regions and in charge of the Trans-Atlantic Relations. In this role he leads AT&T’s advocacy in those regions. AT&T is a premier global communications company, providing wholesale services and mobile roaming services to over 220 countries and territories, and providing business enterprise services to countries representing over 99 percent of the world’s economy.

In addition to developing and implementing market access strategies to enable AT&T’s global expansion to satisfy customer needs, other responsibilities for Mr Lesina include ensuring compliance with international telecom regulations, and advocacy on a wide range policy matters related to the stable growth, innovation and investment by the information and communications technology sector.

Mr Lesina is based in AT&T’s Brussels (Belgium) office. He is an active member in several industry and community organizations, including current service as: Chair of the Presidency Group of the American Chamber of Commerce to the EU. He is a Board Member of the European Internet Foundation and of the Transatlantic Business Council. He also represents AT&T in different associations such as ETNO, GSMA, ECTA, TPN, etc.
Prior to joining AT&T, Mr Lesina held senior positions with another leading US-headquartered ICT company (Intel Corporation), and a number of leading public affairs agencies in Brussels. Born in Dakar (Senegal) Mr Lesina is an Italian-Tunisian national and has a Master Degree in Economics of development at the Catholic University of Louvain-la-Neuve in Belgium.

Haydn is the author of The Elastic Enterprise, an account of how stellar companies prospered during the recent recession. His next book is The Fluid Core, How Technology Is Creating A New Hierarchy of Need and How Smart Companies Respond.

He writes on innovation and competitiveness issues for Forbes.com where his audience regularly exceeds 500,000 monthly. He has also written for The Wall St Journal and other leading outlets. He used to write the Convergence Culture column in The Irish Times.

In the late 1980s he became involved in the EU’s attempt to create an ARPA-type unit, similar to the Advanced Research Projects Agency in the USA. That was the RACE programme. He caught the tech bug from that experience, discussing and writing about 3G mobile and broadband applications more than a decade before they became commonplace.

He was educated at The London School of Economics and Oxford University and is a fellow at the Paul Merage School of Business, University of California at Irvine, and of the Society for New Communications Research and an adviser to organizations in transition.

3 degrees of Separation – How the Relentless March of Connectivity Transforms Markets

The theme is that connectivity is highly prized by consumers more so than we usually realise and over time that has led to an increase in scale-free or power law economics, making it increasingly important for companies to incorporate consumers/customers are every stage of business.

Chris Book

Developer Relations Manager, Distimo

Chris Book is a Developer Relations Manager at Distimo, where he advocates for Distimo products to the developer community, showing both current and future clients how to gain value from their own app store data.

Show Me the Money! Learning from mobile games monetisation – how to create a successful app

Dr Catherine Mulligan

Research Fellow, Innovation and Entrepreneurship group, Imperial College London

Dr Catherine Mulligan is a Research Fellow in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship group. She is Principal Investigator on two RCUK Digital Economy Program grants: Sustainable Society Network+ and Scaling the Rural Enterprise.

In addition, Catherine is a researcher on WP4 (Business Models) for the Digital City Exchange and Co-Investigator on the “Unleashing the Value of Big Data” projects.

Catherine has 15 years international experience in the Mobile Telecommunications and ICT industries, including 10 years at Ericsson in Stockholm, Sweden. Working on a variety of cutting edge technologies, Catherine experienced first-hand the complexities of successfully taking innovation to market.

Her research interests lie in the area of new economic and business models enabled by the digital economy. In particular, Catherine is interested in the role that technologies play in the creation of citizen-centric smart/sustainable cities.

From M2M to IoT – the impact on Smart Cities

Digital technologies are often suggested as a panacea for the development of “smart cities” – cities that in some form integrate a digital infrastructure with the physical city in order to reduce environmental impact while improving quality of life and economic prospects. While these sorts of concepts have been around for several decades, the recent advent of smartphones and cheaper sensor technology means that digitally enabled, or “smart,” cities are fast becoming a real-world possibility.

The role of the Internet of Things (IoT) in cities is one that will only increase as the pressure on cities to deliver services at reduced costs for an expanding population increases. Many examples exist, including water management, transport management, and waste management. Due to the complexity in cities, the best way for them to achieve the desired outcomes of smart cities is to utilize an information marketplace approach, which allows them to combine together the data from extensive M2M and IoT investments and utilize positive externalities associated with technology in order to reduce environmental impact while creating jobs and economic prosperity for citizens. Dr Mulligan will present some insights from her upcoming book “From M2M to IoT: An Introduction to a New Age of Intelligence”, published by Elsevier.

David Rogers

Founder, Copper Horse Solutions Ltd

David (@drogersuk) is a mobile phone security expert who runs Copper Horse Solutions Ltd, a software and security company based in Windsor, UK. He also chairs the Device Security Steering Group at the GSM Association and teaches the Mobile Systems Security course at the University of Oxford. He has worked in the mobile industry for over 15 years in security and engineering roles. Prior to this he worked in the semiconductor industry.

David’s articles and comments on mobile security topics have been regularly covered by the media worldwide including The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal and Sophos’ Naked Security blog. His book ‘Mobile Security: A Guide for Users’ was published in 2013.

David holds an MSc in Software Engineering from the University of Oxford and a HND in Mechatronics from the University of Teesside.

David blogs from http://blog.mobilephonesecurity.org

The Future of Mobile Device Security

The mobile device is changing – is it a handset, a watch or an electricity meter? Is it secure? How do you secure it? What if a software update bursts my home’s hot water pipes? The ever-increasing complexity of the mobile eco-system is a potential nightmare for users yet security and safety remains an after-thought for some companies.

This talk will look at what is really happening and what should happen to ensure consumers remain safe and secure.

With over 15 years of work experience in mobile, media and high technology, Dr Patricia Timoner has spent the last nine years as a Strategy Consultant in Mobile Digital and Interactive Marketing. Some of her most notable high tech media/marketing consulting projects include developing the pilot for Sony to use the Playstation Portable (PSP) as a mobile engagement and interactive platform; the strategic marketing plan for OpenSearch the online advertising software; and a major marketing campaign for Smirnoff that achieved 16% gain in market share. With major high tech related work on four continents, Dr Timoner is a co-founder of Mobile Monday (MoMo) Sao Paulo and sits on its Board, as well as assisting several MoMo chapters in Latin America.

An expert on mobile business and media, with focus areas on social networking on mobile, advertising and the emerging opportunity of ‘engagement marketing’, Patricia has contributed to the evolution of the thought leadership through speakerships, workshops, guest lecturing and writing. She has contributed a chapter to the Pagani’s Encyclopedia of Multimedia Technology and Networking, as well as a chapter to Kotler’s Marketing (6th Edition). Being an internatinoally respected authority on high tech, Dr Timoner has served as a judge on prestigious international competitions such as the World Championships of E-Business and Asia Pacific IT and T Awards.

Dr Timoner has completed major consulting projects such as the marketing strategy for Reniar AB, the customer relationship management project for the Clinica Medica General of Los Angeles, and the business development of the ANZMAC conference. She has helped in international expansion projects with companies such as HealthRider, Spinning, and Williams Worldwide Television. Due to rare experience managing numerous intercontinental high tech projects between Australia, Brazil, China and the USA, Dr Timoner is often engaged to projects of exceptional international issues. One of her most recognized achievements was the business model for the international OPTO VLSI project between Germany, Israel, South Korea, the UK and Australia. Dr Timoner was recognized as crucial to the project’s success.

Before her consulting, writing and lecturing career Patricia gained actual hands-on employment experience in the 1980s and 1990s at the executive level as the Managing Director of T-Connection Sao Paulo; at the operational level as Marketing Manager of Physician Care Management Los Angeles California and Marketing Manager at Queens Commercio e Industria in Brazil. Dr Timoner began her marketing and advertising career learning the basics as Junior Brand Manager at Heublein do Brasil, and Media Coordinator at MPM Propaganda.

A popular speaker seen at international conferences on five continents, Patricia chaired the Mobile Commerce Track at IRMA San Diego and the Electronic Marketing Track at the We-b Conference. She has presented to such events as the Mobile Content World, Digital Marketing and Media Summit, IABE Las Vegas, TeleViva Movel, European Conference on Information Systems, Mobile 2.0 and the M Payment and M Banking Congress. During her consulting career, Dr Timoner has been a frequent guest lecturer on mobile, digital and media topics at major universities such as ESPM and FAAP Universities of Sao Paulo, Liaoning University China, Trisakti University of Jakarta, and University of Western Sydney. Patricia Timoner holds a Ph D in Mobile Commerce from Edith Cowan University Perth Australia; with an MBA Degree specializing on E-Commerce; a Master’s Degree on Marketing; and a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Communications and Advertising.

Brazil – Mobile Market Overview

Caribbean. Mobile penetration is upward of 132% and still growing by about 7% annually. Yet the market has some very unique characteristics.

This presentation aims to provide an overview of the Brazilian mobile market and user habits, as well as scenario forecasts for the years 2015 and 2020.

Sean Kane

Co-Founder, F6S.com

F6S.com is a very dynamic community with a UK origin but a global following. Sean Kane has been active in growing web and mobile companies for 15 years in the media and social space, such as mp3.com (SVP), Intercasting (GM) and Bebo (VP Mobile). He is also Co-Founder of Springboard Accelerator and assists numerous Startup Programs around the globe. He has been honoured to work with amazing founders across the world, has been fortunate to be involved in several IPOs and acquisitions and is an active mentor for entrepreneurial programs. Sean has done coursework at Harvard, MIT and ITAM.

Raising Money for Mobile Startups: Online and Crowdfunding

Jeanette Carlsson

CEO & Founder, @newmedia2.0

Jeanette is CEO and Founder of @newmedia2.0 (www.newmedia2dot0.co.uk), the leading, independent digital media and insight consultancy, advising Brands and TMT companies on how to deliver improved business performance and growth through better use of digital and strategic user insights. She is also an advisor to the world’s largest mobile marketing company; UKTI’s ‘Catalyst programme, UK ‘Tech City ‘and US tech start-ups; and guest lecturer on digital, innovation & entrepreneurship at University of Oxford and University of Warwick.

Jeanette has over 20 years’ professional experience leading, growing and advising companies from start-ups to large corporates on how to deliver improved business performance and growth through better strategy and use of digital communications, working with boards and senior executives of the world’s leading brands in the UK, Nordics, Western Europe and the US. Prior to setting up @newmedia2.0, Jeanette was MD of a leading Marketing Analytics company, and before that, spent 10 years at IBM leading and growing UK, European and global businesses in the TMT space. Jeanette has published widely on key strategic communications & digital issues facing businesses and is a frequent speaker at leading industry events.

Jeanette has a postgraduate degree in Advanced Strategy from the University of Oxford; an MA and BSc in Economics from University College London and a BA in English from University of Copenhagen. Jeanette is bilingual Danish/English and also speaks Swedish, Norwegian, German and French.

What is your data worth?

As consumers consume content and interact with businesses across multiple platforms, companies collect a vast and growing bank of user data from multiple touchpoints from offline media to website traffic, mobile/tablet apps, social media, digital content, reader offers, transaction data etc. Turning this data into strategic, actionable user insights holds significant potential business value to companies in terms of empowering decisions and monetising strategies, so is increasingly becoming a strategic priority. Today, few companies capture or extract maximum value from this hidden ‘goldmine’. In this talk, Jeanette Carlsson, CEO @newmedia2.0 – the leading digital and user insight consultancy, looks at the data opportunity and shares her perspective on how best to leverage user data to develop a true understanding of users and their value with associated business benefits.

Dan Appelquist

Open Web Advocate, Telefónica Digital and blogger at Torgo

Dan is an American Ex-Pat living in London. He’s a father of two and husband of one. Dan is the Open Web Advocate for Telefónica Digital, focusing on the Open Web Device. Dan founded Mobile Monday London, Over the Air and the Mobile 2.0 conference series. Dan is an advocate for the open Web and for Web Standards.

East Side, West Side, Peace: How App Developers Should Leverage the Web

The web is 25 years old. During that time it has evolved from a system for sharing academic information to a ubiquitous, distributed application platform used by businesses, organisations and individuals the world over, and it has become one of the greatest engines of innovation the world has ever seen.

The evolution of this open platform has been unlikely and convoluted, and throughout its development it has been subject to attacks parties whose interests are better served by closed, controlled platforms. The rise of app stores and native mobile applications is another such development. Don’t worry, though.

This talk is not going to be about apps vs. web. As apps platforms continue to mature, it’s becoming clearer how apps and the web should work together – how we can and should be leveraging the web to do what it’s good at and using native apps to do what they’re good at – ultimately to provide the best user experience across all platforms.

I’ll talk about the latest and greatest in mobile web application platforms (such as Firefox OS), how best to use the Web alongside of native apps across platforms. I’ll examine some (currently) broken user experiences and point the way forward to a world where apps and the web can live together.

Lilach Bullock

Founder, Socialable

Lilach is the founder and driving force behind Socialable, and highly regarded on the world speaker circuit. Forbes and Number 10 Downing Street have even been graced by her presence! In a nutshell, she’s a hugely connected and highly influential serial entrepreneur – the embodiment of Digitelligence.

Listed in Forbes as one of the top 20 women social media power influencers and likewise as one of the top social media power influencers, she is one of the most dynamic personalities in the social media market, she actively leverages ethical online marketing for her clients and for Socialable.

After launching her first business within three years of becoming a mother, her financial success was recognised by being a finalist at the Best MumPreneur of the Year Awards, presented at 10 Downing Street. Following a resultant offer and wishing to spend more time with her daughter, she sold her first business to focus on social media, developing a multi-site blog and online marketing portfolio that generates in excess of 600,000 + page views per month.

A business owner, social media consultant, internet mentor and genuine digital guru, Lilach is consulted by journalists and regularly quoted in newspapers, business publications and marketing magazines (including Forbes, The Telegraph, Wired, Prima Magazine, The Sunday Times, Social Media Today and BBC Radio 5 Live). What’s more, her books have achieved No 1 on Amazon for Sales and Marketing and Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

When Lilach isn’t working she enjoys spending time with her family and is an avid fan of Zumba.

Lee Omar

CEO and Founder, Red Ninja

Lee is the founder of Red Ninja, a high growth design led innovation company. He is an experienced application developer and smart city practitioner. He has developed real time Internet of Things data driven apps for ARM, BBC, TUC, Network Rail, Merseytravel, National Museums and Liverpool City Council. He developed his first geo-locational mobile social network app in 2009.

Lee works directly with Chief Scientific Advisor to UK Government Sir Mark Walport in his Foresight Future Cities project, which is looking at the role of cities in 2065 and advising on policy changes that should be implemented to get there. He is currently working with National Health Service to develop mobile ambient assisted living technologies that enable people to live in their homes longer.

An expert in generating value from big data sets and the Internet of Things and is currently advising Connected Digital Economy Catapult to set their funding strategy for the cultural sector around data. He sits on the British Standards Institute advisory group that defines the framework for smart cities for local governments and also the ontology. Lee is the Entrepreneur in Residence at XJLTU University (Souzou/Shanghai).

Tineka Smith

Media Relations Specialist, Weber Shandwick Technology UK

Tineka Smith is a media relations specialist within the technology landscape. Her experience includes working with Weber Shandwick Technology while providing media relations expertise and content creation across a range of clients which have included Microsoft, BAE Systems, Capgemini, Gartner, Veracode and Ricoh Europe.

Prior to Weber Shandwick Technology, Tineka was a reporter and junior news editor for Computer Business Review covering a range of technology topics including big data, mobile, security and social media. Tineka also worked as a tech contributor for the New Statesman business blog and previously worked for local newspapers and TV in the United States. Tineka has a BA (Hons) in Communications, French Studies and a Masters in International Journalism.

How Mobile is Changing the Media Landscape

This will take a look at how journalism has changed over the past few years due to the increasing use of mobile devices in reporting and how it could potentially affect the future. Mobile has also spurred the increase of citizen journalism and has placed much of the power in how/which news is delivered into the hands of the public. In the coming years mobile may also affect how TV news is delivered as more and more journalists are switching to using cameras on their tablets to conduct interviews for news organisations.

Patrick Bergel

CEO and Founder, Animal Systems

Karen Barber?

Afternoon panellists

Peggy Anne Salz

Chief Analyst and Founder, MobileGroove

Peggy Anne Salz is lead analyst and founder of MobileGroove, a top 50 ranked influential destination that produces and promotes custom research, strategic thought leadership and knowledge resources for the global mobile industry. Her work, which includes 300+ articles on mobile marketing, mobile search, social media and mobile industry news and developments, has appeared in The International Herald Tribune, The Wall Street Journal (Europe & Asia editions), TIME, and in the Agile Minds column in EContent magazine, among many more.

Peggy is also a Gigaom Research mobile analyst, where her focus is mobile loyalty, mobile messaging and mobile retail. Her most recent report, Managing The Complete Customer Experience: Encouraging Engagement with Mobile and Apps, helps businesses understand and harness mobile to re-imagine the customer experience and super-charge sales and service channels.

Peggy has written nine books about mobile, both as a lead author and in partnership with global companies in the industry. Her most recent book, Apponomics: The Insider’s Guide to a Billion Dollar App Business (InMobi, 2014) provides actionable insights into how companies can market and monetize their apps. It builds on the success of her first book on mobile apps, The Everything Guide to Mobile Apps: A Practical Guide to Affordable Mobile App Development for Your Business (F+W Media, Inc, 2013), a practical, crowd-sourced book providing businesses and developers with insights on how to make, monetize and market mobile apps. She has also edited and produced the Mobile Operator Guide 2013: The Evolution of Mobile Services: Challenges, Strategies, Opportunities and the Mobile Commerce Guide 2013: Engage Customers & Build Loyalty in Developed and Emerging Markets. She is currently working on a new industry resource e-book that explores the impact of ultra-broadband mobility and how it can lay the groundwork for the ultra-connected society of the future.

Graduating with honours from the University of Pittsburgh, Peggy earned a B.A. in Philosophy of Science, Political Science, and Economics. She is a Fulbright fellow and a member of the International Who’s Who of Professionals.

Mick Rigby

CEO, Yodel Mobile Ltd

Mick founded Yodel Mobile in 2007, the first specialist mobile marketing agency headquartered in the UK.

Yodel Mobile is a strategically-led full service agency that offers best in class strategy, development and delivery for organisations looking to incorporate mobile successfully into their business.

Prior to Yodel Mobile, Mick was the managing partner of a communications planning agency, he has over 20 years’ experience in the marketing and advertising sector and worked at some of the biggest media and advertising agencies.

He is passionate about mobile technology, especially how it can be used to enhance brand and consumer experiences.

Tony Pearce

Founder, gamesGRABR

Coming from a 20 year background in senior management in the entertainment and gaming industry Tony has an excellent track record as a successful entrepreneur and CEO.

Over the past 10 years Tony has raised over £15m in VC funding, started 5 companies and had 2 successful exits. Most recently Tony founded GamesGRABR an innovative platform (web, mobile and tablet) that marries the power and usability of a contemporary ‘pinboard-style’ interface allowing the user to curate their own collections, discover, engage, play and share them with other users with similar interests.

Previously Tony founded a games company called TeePee Games and developed a technology that allowed users to get recommendations on games across social networks such as Facebook.

Tony was the CEO and Co-Founder of Player X and spearheaded the company from a two person start-up in 2004 and developed it into Europe’s largest mobile games distributor. The company was named by Library House as the fourth fastest growing VC backed company in the UK before it was acquired by Spanish mobile content company ZED in April 2009.

Tony is also the co-founder of an executive networking event called the Centurions which is aimed at the digital entertainment industry and takes place every two months in London along with events in New York, Istanbul and Munich.

Richard Downey

Director, The Mobile House

Martin Wrigley

General Manager Europe, App Developers Alliance

Martin heads up the European arm of the Alliance as General Manager, Europe. With more than 25 years of experience in telecoms and IT and a wide background of development, solutions architecture and delivery.

Martin lead the app developer services area for mobile operator, Orange, between 2004 and 2012. He has since been actively involved with IT integrators, developers and European institutions, and is also Executive Director of AQuA, – the App Quality Alliance.

The need for a Developer Industry Association – The App Developers Alliance

The talk addresses the need of the industry to have an association that can not only help in terms of business education, best practice information sharing, peer-to-peer global networking but also in representation into policy makers worldwide. It introduces the App developers Alliance that has been fulfilling this need in the USA for the past few year as and is now expanding into Europe.

The book is co-authored by me and my son Aditya (10 and a half years old)

Target audience is young people – 8 to 17 years

Background to the idea:

I once heard a NASA scientist say that – space unites humanity. i.e as an American citizen, whenever he went globally – he heard people say that ‘we’ i.e. humanity conquered space.

So, the idea is – great scientific projects unite humanity.

Story:

A group of kids who are based globally decide to collaborate and launch a Satellite in space.

The Satellite is based on the Raspberry Pi, Arduino and other open source technologies

In doing so, they learn about specific technologies like Raspberry Pi and Arduino.

Each child has expertise and is based globally (and often has some limitations/quirks).

The protagonist (a boy aged 10 based in London) – has the idea to launch a grand plan – a satellite in space based on Arduino / Raspberry Pi

He creates a group on facebook – and asks to see who wants to join to help him create this satellite

A group of kids globally respond:

A boy from China who has great mechanical abilities
A girl from Philippines who is good at programming
A girl living in Miami who is originally from Brazil who is into design
A boy from Germany who is good at hardware
A boy from India who is good at programming

The story is about this group of kids who collaborate to launch the satellite in space.

The book is a series of three books

a) The plan – Design (launched in Oct 2014 in Miami)

b) The build – How to make the satellite

c) Blast off – the launch

The vision:

The world will be like this in future

Science and skill will unite humanity.

Talent will be found all over the world and people(even kids) will collaborate to create something amazing

If you are interested to know more – please email me at ajit.jaokar at futuretext.com

We are launching a series of workshops based on a new technique we have been developing and I seek your feedback

Here is the outline:As a professional who is a non-programmer: Do you think that gaining an appreciation of software development would help your career goals?

Today, senior management and professionals are increasingly required to have a basic appreciation of software design and how software works ‘under the hood’.

Such skills could often make the difference to your role within and beyond your company.

Gaining an appreciation of Software design often translates to gaining some working experience of programming or coding.

However this requirement has three hurdles:
1) You already have too much on your plate and are very busy

2) You don’t actually want to build an app, website or master writing code and

3) Your motivation to attend a course is low because of the above

Nevertheless you do want to get a detailed appreciation of Programming and the development process whilst not compromising your existing deadlines

So, here is what we are testing

If you can read and you can think – you can code

Feyncode – created by Feynlabs – is an approach for rapidly gaining a detailed appreciation of Programming and Computer Science.

We believe: “If you can read and you can think – you can code”and whilst everyone will learn to code, not everyone will use Coding in their day to day work.

Feyncode appeals to wide variety of professionals within a range of disciplines including directors, senior and divisional management, VP’s, heads of departments, leaders and team leaders in marketing, sales, legal, finance, support, HR, logistics and general management.
Feynlabs is a UK company which focuses on the accelerated learning of Programming and Computer Science. Based on a set of new learning techniques we have been testing; feyncode is a new approach to gain a detailed appreciation of many aspects of computer science and programming.

Feyncode comprises of an introductory face-to-face session followed by an online course and a book which is tailored to the learners’ objectives.

This investment could help you leapfrog your career and gain key skills which have a lasting impact

Can you improve IQ test scores?

If you understand how an IQ test works you will understand our approach.
On your first attempt at an IQ test, you may not do well but IQ tests are really all about understanding a pattern to solve questions.

Once you have done several and learnt a set of techniques – you can perform well in the test.

We believe learning to code is the same.

feyncode is a technique to teach programming by understanding common patterns in coding.

feyncode emphasizes reading code and solving problems using code.

By repeatedly reading code, reasoning and guessing responses, seeing implementations, the learner starts to see a pattern in code and in problem solving using Programming.

We focus on three common languages Python, JavaScript and C and by extension also cover these platforms Django, node.js, Phone Gap, Raspberry Pi, Arduino, Objective C, Processing

At the end of the course you will not be a programmer but you will understand how to read and appreciate the black art of software development. You will be able to interpret code and determine the implications at a systems level

This will help you make better strategic and management decisions

Coaching and Programming

The foundations of our method also depend on applying ideas developed for Coaching to the realm of Programming.

Various techniques are being tried out in the market including; Online forums, MOOCs, video training and intensive residential courses but these are adaptations of historical techniques and focus on becoming a programmer.

Our approach is inspired from a discipline normally associated with High performance sports /endurance skills coaching.

In this context, when we say ‘coaching’ it does not refer to the typical NLP coach rather, we mean the Olympic level performance coaches / techniques.

Over the last year and a half, we have been improving these methods with students and teachers in UK, USA and Holland.

We have worked with more than 400 teachers, schools and a wide range of students.

And we hope these insights can make a difference to your career

In London, Miami and a few other cities – we are testing these ideas in limited trials

So, here is a summary:

Format: Introductory Face to face session and three months online

Designed for non-programmer professionals who want to get an appreciation of software development and leverage their career goals

Based on accelerated learning

Limited trials – so if interested, please signup below

A small fee (probably around $199 for the entire course – online and offline)

This is an important book because the ideas presented here span multiple domains and the author brings a unique perspective from his own experience.

Curiosity Cycle is about preparing your child for the ongoing technological explosion.

The book’s goal is to make children lifelong learners through fostering a sense of internally driven curiosity (hence the Curiosity Cycle)

The author proposes that the Curiosity Cycle is a learning process that consists of building and testing individual models – which will be an ongoing process for every child

The Curiosity Cycle builds on the idea of ‘incomplete models’ i.e. the idea that an incorrect or incomplete models is better than no model at all – as long as the process of creating, assimilating and validating models i.e. the curiosity cycle is inculcated in a child. The curiosity cycle thus helps prepare children to live in a world of the future in which computers will have a profound effect on every aspect of society

The book is based on the author’s personal experience on how to build smart robots by enabling them to learn about the world in the same way human children do

The book develops the concepts for the Curiosity Cycle and then applies these ideas to a range of disciplines like history, science and mathematics. The objective is: curiosity leads a child to ask the right questions and to make inferences beyond knowledge already given. This helps the child to handle unexpected situations – and in the future with a world dominated by rapid technological change – there will be many such situations

Finally, the author believes that the future population will be divided between consumers and creators (of ideas/content/technology etc). Thus, the Curiosity Cycle is a powerful tool for a child growing up now.

These are powerful concepts and they also resonate with my own work at Feynlabs

I have also used the idea of incomplete models with Rumsfeld’s analogy (known –unknowns) and also the idea of gedankenexperiments (thought experiments ex Schrodinger’s cat) – for example – “What would a computer see? And Why?” i.e. how would the world look like to a computer